§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he will explain the total tonnage of the 1,118 vessels who are allowed to engage in the services of foreign countries; what class of work are they doing for foreign countries, principal headings only; how do their earnings now compare with their pre-war earnings; whether any of those vessels have changed hands lately, and whether he has any statistics of previous transfers to compare with prices in recent sales; what percentage of our existing total tonnage is running at Blue Book rates; what at fixed rates and what at free rates; what is the existing total tonnage of this country; and (2) whether 1,118 vessels belonging to the British mercantile marine are still permitted to be engaged in foreign trade between foreign countries and to trade where they choose in their own accustomed grooves; and whether he will give a list of the principal owners of such vessels and the number for which each of those owners is responsible?
Mr. RUNCIMANI think the two questions of my hon. Friend are based on a misapprehension of a sentence in my speech in the House on 17th October
I have given the House a total which reaches 1,118 vessels, which are for one reason or other—good national reasons—free to trade where they will in their own accustomed grooves.80W If my hon. Friend will refer to the earlier part of that speech, he will see that this total is made up of 297 vessels employed permanently abroad, 588 vessels running in lines, and 233 tramps. All of these trade under licences obtained from the Ship Licensing Committee, but it is an entire misapprehension to suppose that the two latter classes are trading exclusively between foreign ports.
§ Mr. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the "Tabarka," belonging to the firm of Messrs. Strick and Company, was a month loading at the Persian Gulf and is now homeward bound with a cargo of dates; that the "Kohistan," belonging to the same firm, was over a month loading in the Persian Gulf; that the steamship "Seistan" is at the same place and cannot leave before 12th November; that if the three ships in question had gone to India they would have been loaded in seven days; that the "Kohistan" was sent from this country to the Persian Gulf actually in ballast, a distance of 7,000 miles, or five weeks' steaming, at a time when Italy was calling for coal; that this boat might have been loaded with coal for Genoa or Malta, or to supply our Fleet off Salonika, and then could have gone to the East in ballast; how were the licences for these boats obtained for Messrs. Strick and Company; if he is aware that a clerk (O'Neill) who was at one time working for Messrs. Strick and Company has been lent by them to the Admiralty as superintendent of the requisitioning and utilisation of British tonnage; whether the licences for Messrs. Strick and Company were obtained through Mr. O'Neill; and whether, seeing that there is a difference in the freightage rates from the Persian Gulf and India, namely, about £12 15s. per ton and £5 6s. per ton respectively, the difference will be paid by Messrs. Strick and Company to the Treasury?
Mr. RUNCIMANI am informed that the three vessels "Tabarka," "Kohistan," and "Seistan" have been employed as stated in the question, but the times for loading given by my hon. Friend are incorrect, and it is not the case that vessels of this size could have been loaded in seven days. The causes of the delay in loading ships in the Persian Gulf are well known. The steamship "Kohistan" was allowed to go in ballast, as it was only in that way that she could arrive in time to 81W carry out her engagement to load dates from the Persian Gulf to this country. I am informed that at the time when the licence was granted there was no lack of tonnage for coal to Italy or Malta. The rate from the Persian Gulf to the United Kingdom is £8, and not £12 15s. The licences were obtained by Messrs. F. C. Strick and Company by application in the usual way to the Ship Licensing Committee, and there is no foundation for the suggestion to which I regret that my hon. Friend should give currency that they were obtained directly or indirectly through Mr. O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill is a director of the firm of Messrs. Strick and Company, who has withdrawn from the business of his firm during the War in order to assist the Government by serving in the Admiralty Transport Department in an advisory and honorary capacity in connection with the requisitioning of tonnage for Admiralty service. He has no connection with the Ship Licensing Committee.